G a r d e n
by Kei7
Summary: [AU | Sess x Kago] Deep in an enchanted forest, lies a wonderful garden. And in that garden is a statue, once a man, who can only be turned back by the kiss of his one true love.
1. Faerie Tale

  


**Garden**  
by Kei

  
  
  
  
  
AN: Wow, I actually got this fic started! I was having such a hard time thinking up a good prologue, well, first chapter, um, introduction, whatever. X_X But I finally got it done. This is a whole lot different than Jam and Marmalade, at least in my opinion, but it's still a Sessh x Kagome to the core. Oh yeah! XD Oh yeah, in the first and second scene, Kagome is 6 and Souta is 2. In the third scene, Kagome is 9, Souta 5. I'm too lazy to put that in the story. Haha.  
  
Version 1.1: I hate my annoying habit of leaving words out. Aghhhh. I went in and fixed a bunch of mistakes. I think I got all of them. Oh yeah, thanks for your reviews! ^^  
  
  
Genre: Fantasy, Romance, Drama  
Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha characters. ALL RIGHT!? YOU HAPPY NOW!? Errr.... Yeah. X_x  
Review: Do this. NOOOOOOW. lol.  
  
  
  


**Chapter One: Faerie Tale**

  
  
  
  
The full moon rose high into the darkening sky, the radiant sphere casting a soft glow on the sleepy world below. As the last rays of sunlight disappeared under the horizon, the stars came out, twinkling diamonds in the heavens. Their light was soon matched on Gaia as fireflies woke and their lights danced in the calm, humid summer air. The laughter of children wafted through the meadows as they tried to catch as many of the glowing bugs as they could before their mothers called them in for bedtime.   
  
  
"Kagome! Souta! Time to come in!"  
  
  
"Five more minutes? Pleeeease Mommy?" Kagome, the older sibling, yelled from somewhere in the tall, dark grass, her voice imploring.   
  
  
"No, come in now! It's too dark for you two to be out!"   
  
  
Souta's plea came next, his adorable toddler voice almost irresistible. "Pwease pwease pwease Mommy?"  
  
  
"I'm sorry dears, but you have to come in now!"  
  
  
A small smile touched their mother's face as she heard them whine and trudge their feet slowly through the grass. When they finally entered the pale ring of light, she couldn't help but laugh at their sad, sullen faces.   
  
  
"Don't look so sad! You can do this again tomorrow night. I'll even let you stay up later," she offered.   
  
  
"Weally weally?" Souta asked eagerly, his eyes shining in anticipation.  
  
  
"You proooomise?" Kagome asked almost suspiciously, but her smile gave herself away.  
  
  
"I promise! Come on, let's get you two to bed."  
  
  
The younger boy set the jar of glowing insects carefully on the railing of the porch and scrambled over to his mother, grabbing her hand with his tiny chubby one. Kagome followed suit, running up the stairs and taking the other hand, and they all walked inside the house, the small children talking excitedly about the fun they'd had that day.   
  
  
  


+ + + 

  
  
  
That night, the air was hot and heavy, the humidity so high she could practically feel the water droplets setting heavily on her skin. Through her window, only the sporadic flickers of the fireflies' light could be seen, the landscape hidden by darkness. The full moon was completely covered by clouds; clouds that promised to bring rain, and possibly thunder and lightning too. Kagome knew it was much later than her bedtime, but she couldn't sleep, her six year old mind still eager to go outside and play. She stared out the window longingly by her lone candle, where her mother found her an hour later.  
  
  
"Kagome? Why aren't you in bed?" she asked, standing next to her daughter and stroking her hair comfortingly.   
  
  
"I couldn't sleep, Mama. Are you mad at me?" Kagome explained, her voice growing slightly apprehensive.  
  
  
"Of course not, honey. It's very hard to sleep in this hot weather. Why don't I tell you a story?"  
  
  
"Alright," the small child agreed, her violet-blue eyes sparkling in anticipation as she crawled into her bed and scooted over so her mother could sit next to her.   
  
  
"Ah, I have just the story for you. Do you know those woods over at the far end of town?"  
  
  
"Yeah, the ones they won't let nobody go into?"  
  
  
"Yes, those woods. Well, they say they're enchanted."  
  
  
"Tell me about it!"   
  
  
"Once upon time there was a handsome young man, and rich and noble man, who owned all of the Western Lands."  
  
  
"All of them!?"  
  
  
"Yes, every single last inch. One day, he was going on his rounds, when he stopped in this town. He walked into an inn, and heard men discussing how they were very afraid of those woods, and they feared evil lurked in them. This young man was not foolish, but he had quite a bit of pride, so he told them he would go into the woods and prove them wrong."  
  
  
"Oh no! What happened to him?"  
  
  
"I'm getting to that, dear," her mother laughed, and then continued. "He entered the woods, cautiously making his way deeper and deeper into the forest. Before long, he spotted a clearing in the trees. He stood on top of a large hill overlooking the wonderful sight he saw. There was a beautiful garden, blooming with roses and apple trees and many other wonderful plants. There were butterflies and hummingbirds everywhere. However, the only way he could reach that garden was through a maze of high bushes.   
  
  
"He made his way down to the maze and after a few hours of getting lost, he finally found his way to the center. As he stepped into the threshold, tall willowy trees grew, blocking any entrance of exit. He was trapped. The spirits of the forest chattered in the air, mocking his folly, but they were not unkind, and kept him clothed and fed.   
  
  
"The man was there for many years. He grew lonesome without anyone but animals and spirits to talk to. He refused to talk to them after a time. He sat brooding, hating the men who had sent him there, hating the spirits who had trapped them there, hating himself for coming. His heart grew harder and harder, colder and colder. The spirits did not like this, for they wanted their magical garden to be a happy place.   
  
  
So, they cast a spell on him, turning his body into a statue as cold and hard as his heart. The only way he could be awoken was by the kiss of a beautiful maiden who would change his heart back."  
  
  
"That poor man," Kagome sympathized, her mother's quiet words already lulling her to sleep. "Whenever I grow up, I wanna go save him."  
  
  
Her eyes were already closed when she stated that; so she missed the look of something close to fear on her mother's face. She didn't, however, miss the tight squeeze she gave her. Kagome roused herself from her sleepy stupor long enough to reach up and pat the woman's cheek lovingly and murmur, "Don't worry Mama, I'll be here for you always. Don't cry."  
  
  
"I love you, my little Kagome."  
  
  
"I love you too, Mama. Night night…"  
  
  
"Good night, honey," her mother smiled tenderly, her eyes full of love and she slid from the bed and tucked her sleeping daughter under a light blanket. She blew out the candle and paused in the doorway, staring tenderly at the small raven-haired child, as she sighed, a sigh filled with sadness and the weight of a grave secret.   
  
  
  


+ + +

  
  
  
"KENJIRO! AKI! IZUMI! Get off of my brother you stupid JERKS!" an infuriated Kagome barked at the boys who were tormenting her brother. Despite her small size, she threw herself fearlessly at the larger boys, clawing and scratching and kicking viciously. "Find your own toys to play with and leave him alone!"  
  
  
Souta stared incredulously through his black eye as his sister wrestled the three boys to the ground. He stood unsure of whether to run or help, and ended up running for help. He ignored the jeers of the boys, knowing full and well they were the ones who would be called sissies and cowards after Kagome got through with them. She had managed to give two of the bullies bloody noses and the other a black ear and all of them bruises before they could scramble out of her hold.   
  
  
"I can't believe I almost got beat up by a girl," the leader, Kenjiro scoffed, staring down disdainfully at the scowling girl in front of him.   
  
  
"Ac'shally, we did get beat up by a girl," Izumi sighed mournfully, fingering a bruise on his shin gently.  
  
  
"Oh shut up," Aki growled at his companions, while glaring suspiciously at Kagome, who looked about ready to beat them up yet again. "I beat she's still a little sissy, tho, jes like her momma's boy brother."   
  
  
"I am not a little sissy and don't you dare call my brother that, or I'll have your head on my dinner plate," Kagome threatened, using a phrase she'd once heard one of the men at the bar use. The three children paled slightly at this, but it didn't stop them from teasing her more.  
  
  
"Oh yeah? Then prove it!" Aki growled right back.  
  
  
"Yeah!" Kenjiro agreed, getting into the game. "I dare you to go into the enchanted woods!"  
  
  
"What, are you cra—" Izumi started but was cut off by the other boys' excited yells.  
  
  
"I double dare ya!"  
  
  
"Oh yeah, well I triple dare you!"  
  
  
Kagome shrugged and grinned, boasting that it would easier than beating them up, but inside she was nervous and shaking. Her mother had told her never to go near the forest, for many people had gone in there and never come back. She hated to disobey her dear mother, but she didn't want those boys to think she was a coward. She wasn't, and she would prove it.  
  
  
She led them to the edge of town, making sure not to be seen, to where the dark forest lay. They all became hushed in quiet anticipation and uneasiness as the air around them became stiller and eerily quiet, not a single animal making a noise, despite that fact that it was a forest. The trees stared down at the four children, as if they were following them with ancient eyes. As they grew closer, Kagome started feeling stranger. It was as if the forest were calling her, beckoning her to come inside. Her eyes grew vacant and slowly drained of their color and her feet moved stiffly and automatically. She was losing control of her own body as the pull took over her senses.   
  
  
Her companions looked back and forth between the dark looming woods and Kagome, and suddenly they didn't want to be there anymore. They were so terrified, however, that they couldn't budge an inch, watching in horror as Kagome slowly made her way towards the two tallest trees.  
  
  
"What's wrong with her?" asked Izumi in an apprehensive whisper, almost near tears. "I knew we shouldn't have done this!"  
  
  
"Look at her eyes; they're almost white. Is she going blind?" Aki wondered in the same breathless whisper. Kenjiro could do nothing but gape. The boys huddled together and watched fearfully as a white door suddenly materialized in between the two largest and closest trees. A tangle of vines wrapped itself around the doorframe, holding it securely in place. A golden handle gleamed in the pale sunlight, and Kagome reached slowly for it.  
  
  
"NO!" her mother's shriek rang out, scaring the boys out of their wits and sending them running, while bringing Kagome back to herself. She blinked slowly, her eyes turning back to their normal dark blue. The door vanished into thin air as fast as it had come, leaving everything just as it had been. Kagome look around bewildered, unsure of how she had gotten there. Her mother wrapped her arms around her daughter; unshed tears glistening in her eyes.   
  
  
"I was so worried! Please, Kagome, please! Promise me you won't come near this forest again," her mother nearly begged.  
  
  
The fear in her voice woke Kagome from her confused stupor and she looked up worriedly at her mother. She wasn't sure why she was so afraid, but she felt the need to comfort her. "I won't Mama."  
  
  
"Those woods are a dangerous place. You could go in there and never come back." Her voice trembled slightly, but she regained her composure and stood up., taking her daughter's hand. "Let's go home now, okay, dear?"  
  
  
Kagome nodded and followed her mother in the direction of the town. She couldn't help taking one last glance back at the giant looming forest over her shoulder. A wave of terror briefly went through her, but it was soon overridden by an acute feeling of curiosity. What lay beyond those trees that scared her mother so much? What secrets did it hold?   
  
  
She kept her promise to her mother for eight long years, but she and the enchanted forest would meet yet again.   
  



	2. Run Away

  


**Garden**  
by Kei

  
  
  
  
  
AN: Wahhhh, you guys are so great! Thanks for all the reviews ^^ I'm sorry for taking so long with this chapter. Writer's block sucks. x.x This chapter is pretty short, but the next one will be long ( I hope ) and she'll meet Sesshoumaru in it! w00t! XD  
  
  
Genre: Fantasy, Romance, Drama  
Disclaimer: ...Do you like rubbing it in?  
Review: Go ahead. I dare ya to do it!  
  
  
  


**Chapter Two: Run Away**

  
  
  
  
"Can't you think about it, honey? We need you to do this for us," Kagome's mother sighed wearily, her patience running thin, which was a rare event.   
  
  
"I'm not marrying him! First of all, he is fifteen years older than me. Secondly, Naraku is a nasty son of a bi--"   
  
  
"KAGOME!"  
  
  
"Do you know what he did to his last wife? He beat her into submission. He beat her until she didn't have the will to live!"  
  
  
"You have no proof that he ever did that--"  
  
  
"And there is no way I am taking care of his little brats," Kagome declared, her eyes narrowed, as she stood from her seat in front of her mother. "I know we need the money. I'll go to the capital and find a job."  
  
  
"That would be too dangerous, dear. A young girl all alone in the big city spells trouble. Could you please just sleep on this? Naraku can't possibly as bad as you're making him out to be. Not to mention, most girls your age are already married.."  
  
  
Kagome had had enough. Her cheeks flushed in anger as she stomped from the room. She paused for only a second at the doorway and whirled to face her mother.  
  
  
"I'm not most girls."  
  
  
And she was gone from the room, her skirts swishing around the corner as she trudged up the stairs to her room. She slammed the door hard, then leaned her back against the door and slowly slid down until she was sitting, her previous energy sucked straight out of her.   
  
  
Why did Naraku have to be such a convincing liar? Just because he was somewhat good looking and a successful businessman meant nothing. He was shady, cruel, and immoral. If only her mother knew the reason they were having money problems was not because they were using it, but because Naraku was slowly embezzling it, and had only made the marriage offer so it would look like he was being nice. If only she knew what he did whenever he "came to call." It was sickening.  
  
  
Kagome knew she couldn't refuse to his face, however, for he would find anyway to make her family's life miserable if she didn't marry him. They wouldn't be safe until she married him or died. Or at least thought to be dead. Kagome mulled over that thought for a while, her eyebrows knit in thought. She sighed in defeat as failed to think up a single working plan. Standing up, she straightened out her dress and walked to her window and looked out her window. Her eyes darkened in annoyance as she heard the unmistakable hum of his mechanical carriage. Soon enough, he stopped right at their front door, the metal horse squeaking softly as the brakes kicked in. Kagome sighed, running her fingers through her unruly raven hair in a sad attempt to look presentable, then ran down the stairs.   
  
  
She met him at the front door, frowning as he tipped his hat then set it back on his curly dark hair.   
  
  
"How are you, Higurashi-san?" he smirked.  
  
  
Kagome ignored the question, knowing he didn't even care, and hissed, "What the hell are you doing here?"   
  
  
"Such language from a lady! I only came to visit my lovely, seeing that we're to be married and all."  
  
  
"Over my dead body, you sleaze!"  
  
  
"Why hello!" her mother's voice startled her as she walked up to meet the two. "You should have told me that Naraku was visiting. How are you? Would you like to come in for a drink?"  
  
  
Kagome watched, sickened, as Naraku put on his most charming smile and replied, "I'm quite well. Nothing for me, ma'am, but thank you for offering. I was just going to take Kagome for a ride."  
  
  
"Oh, then go right ahead!" she smiled, ignoring Kagome's desperate glances and subtle shakes of her head.   
  
  
"Then we're off! Come Kagome, let's go on a walk," Naraku commanded gently, as he wrapped his arm around her waist. She winced as she felt his ice cold hand through the fabric and sent one last pleading look at her mother, but it too went unnoticed, or ignored, as they walked off. Naraku opened the door of the metal carriage for Kagome and she sighed and stepped in, not making a fuss only because her mother was watching. She sat in the corner furthest away from him, setting her head in her hands as he started up the contraption. With a sickening lurch, the mechanical horse started trotting forward, the auto-pilot on. As soon as they were far enough from her house, Naraku moved over to her and trapped her in the corner before she even knew what he was doing.  
  
  
"Why are you being so cold, baby? Aren't you happy you're going to be my little wife? We won't even have to do this in secret," he purred into her ear, cupping her right breast in his hand and kneading the flesh softly.  
  
  
"I'm not going to marry you! Get the hell off of me," Kagome ground out between clenched teeth, and kicked between his legs, at the same time tugging his hand off her chest. He merely chuckled darkly, trapping her leg between his own and grabbing her other breast.  
  
  
"You know what happens when you refuse me, baby doll. I think you'll want to reconsider my offer," he told her, his voice low and dangerous. Despite her struggles, he still leaned in close and kissed her harshly. Kagome kept her lips sealed tight and moved her head away. She managed to free a hand and slapped him hard across the face, hard enough to send him stumbling back into the other side of the carriage, a murderous look on his face.  
  
  
"Naraku, you will not have me. I'd kill myself before I ever willingly let myself be touched by you!" Before he could regain his senses, she threw open the door and jumped out, her skirts tearing as they caught on the door. She didn't even flinch as she heard the fabric rip and kept running, praying to the spirits that he wouldn't follow her. The countryside flew by her as she ran as fast as she could, never stopping until she saw her house. Her mother ran out to meet her on the porch, her face a mask of worry.  
  
  
"Kagome! Where's Naraku? What happened?"  
  
  
At those last two words, she couldn't hold it in any longer, and right there on the front porch, she burst into tears. He mother looked confused for a second, but she gently pushed her inside, the look changed to one of concern. Between sobs, Kagome choked out the whole story, every detail from the beginning seven months prior. By the time she was done her mother was crying too, stroking her daughter's hair and whispering heartfelt apologies brokenly.   
  
  


+ + +

  
  
  
Kagome gazed at her mother, her eyes still red-tinted and glossy from crying, and more tears growing in the corners of them. She shifted the heavy pack on her shoulders uncomfortably and sniffled.  
  
  
"You look horrible ," her mother told her, stroking her daughter's cheek as she gave a weak smile, a sad look in her eyes. "You should start going now. It's not far, only a half an hour walk. Make sure to stay under the cover of darkness, and don't leave any tracks behind."  
  
  
"Yes, Mother."  
  
  
The older Higurashi wiped a few stray tears from her cheeks and handed Kagome the small tattered book that had been clutched in her hand. "This book for you. Do not read it until the time is right for you to read it. Now you must be off, or you won't make it before daybreak."   
  
  
"But how will I know?"  
  
  
"You will. Go on."   
  
  
"Mother, I'm not sure..." Kagome started, but the stern look on her mother's face stopped her.  
  
  
"I'm sorry for helping you get in this mess. Now let me get you out of it. I love you Kagome, more than anything. Now go."  
  
  
With fresh tears blurring her vision, her daughter clutched the book in her hand and nodded. She turned and ran, unable to look back for the fear that she'd never be able to leave. She ran until the house was out of sight, then slowed to a walk as sobs wracked her body. She bite her hand to muffle the sound, and she winced as the metallic taste of blood filled her mouth, but the tears didn't stop coming. As her crying abated slowly, she hugged the leather covered book to her chest, slightly comforted by the soft feel of it against her fingers. She gazed at the cover for a second curious as to what lay inside, but she fought the feeling and gently stuck the book in her pack.   
  
  
With a few more pitiful sniffles, she stood up and glanced at the sky. The edges of the horizon were just starting to turn light with the soon-to-rise sun and she regained her composure, brushing off the dirt from her crumpled skirts, and continued to walk. As she came closer to her destination, the ancient trees loomed above her, and memories came flooding back to her. She hadn't been there in eight years, but the memory in every detail came to her as if it were yesterday. Kagome's eyes scanned the area and she soon found the two trees she remembered the door lay between.   
  
  
She didn't fight as the forest pulled her in. The door materialized in front of her, it's magic wood the same clean white, the green leaves surrounding it the same brilliant green of nature. She ran her hands over the rough surface until her hands reached the cool metal of the doorknob. With only a second's hesitation, Kagome opened the door, stepping between the trees. She was disappointed to find he has stepped into the same forest she had seen on the outside.   
  
  
"Some enchanted wood this is," she grumbled to herself, closing the door gently behind her.   
  
  
It took her completely by surprise when the door disappeared and the trees behind her grew to make a giant wall, vines twisting among them to close any gap. She gaped wide-eyed as the forest slowly metamorphosized into a land only one other human hand been fortunate, or unfortunate to lay eyes on. A warm breeze whipped her raven hair around her awed face as the sun shone through the treetops. And as she took her first unsure steps toward the hidden garden, she swore she could have heard someone whisper.  
  
  
"Welcome home." 


	3. Hiatus

Hey, it's your ol' friend Kei.  
  
  
And I'm sorry this isn't a chapter.. but a sad (I guess) note to my readers. I've decided to go on a bit of a hiatus from my fics G a r d e n and Jam and Marmalade. I've had a lot of fun writing these stories, but lately I've lost my interest. Writing each new chapter was a chore, and I hardly had any time to do what I really wanted to do. It was harder and harder for me to write just a single decent length chapter for either story. I'm also getting pretty busy with school and other outside activities, and I'm having a lot of family/friend/personal problems, so there isn't much time to write.  
  
  
Don't worry, this is a far cry from a permanent goodbye. I just need some time to do what I want, to get my interest back, do well in school. It'll probably only be a couple months or so. I'll still be around however. I'll be posting my orginal works on fictionpress ( http:// fictionpress.com / ~fadedeuphoria ) and also posting on my LJ ( http:// livejournal.com / users / hananoyuki ). Feel free to visit either and leave me reviews/comments. *hinthint* ^^;   
  
  
Thank you for all the support you've given me, through the good times and the bad. Thanks, and I hope to see you around!


End file.
